Ray Thatcher was born in 1936 in Brighton Sussex England. He has been writing poetry all his adult life, inspired by his experiences as a mountaineer, sailor, youth leader, husband and father. He has travelled all over the world in his professional life as an engineer and has been particularly influenced by eastern cultures. He is now retired and lives in South West France with his wife, Cherry, where they are busy renovating a 17th century village forge as their home. They enjoy the rural life, cultivating an orchard and vegetable garden, walking, and sampling the local wines.